San Francisco Giants Have No FOMO From Pair of Free Agents Signed by Dodgers

The San Francisco Giants moved on from two members of their roster in the offseason, and are not sad about it with their performances for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Apr 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are off to one of their best starts to a season in quite some time, and it has surprised many to this point.

They enter Monday with a 22-13 record on the year, sitting in third place in the daunting National League West, though only 1 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Over the offseason, those same Dodgers that lead the division laid claim to two former Giants in free agency. While many expected the latter to regret not re-signing the two players, the former may be the ones experiencing regret with how things have turned out so far.

The first player, Blake Snell, has been a legitimate ace during his MLB tenure. He is a two-time Cy Young winner, with his most recent coming in 2023 as a member of the San Diego Padres.

The lefty signed with San Francisco in free agency ahead of the 2024 campaign, and after a sluggish start to the year due to the deal coming together at the last minute, turned things around nicely down the stretch. Snell finished his only season in the Bay Area with a 3.12 ERA across 104 innings in 20 starts with 145 strikeouts and a 124 ERA+.

Los Angeles signed the lefty to a five-year, $136.9 million deal over the most recent offseason with hopes of Snell leading an already stellar rotation. To this point, the veteran has made two starts, totalling nine innings, and has spent nearly a month on the injured list with inflammation in his left shoulder.

Injuries are nothing new for Snell. Throughout his career, he has qualified for the ERA title only twice, in 2018 and 2023, though those two years do also coincide with his two Cy Young awards. It is now something the Dodgers must work through in order to receive the good that comes when Snell is on the mound.

Los Angeles also signed outfielder Michael Conforto over the winter. The sides came together on a one-year, $17 million deal after the veteran batted .237/.309/.450 with 20 home runs, 66 RBI, and a 116 OPS+ in 2024.

This year has been the antithesis of that performance for the veteran. Through 31 games, he has batted just .141/.286/.242 with two home runs, six RBI, and a 53 OPS+.

While the two former Giants have struggled with their new team, in their stead, the "replacements" have excelled. Mike Yastrzemski is in the midst of what could be the best campaign of his career in the outfield with a 154 OPS+, and future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander is coming into form in the rotation.

To this point in the year, San Francisco is not missing out on anything substantial from either of their former players, and has the results to show for it.